Igor Akinfeev of Russia fails to save a shot by Lee Keun-Ho of South Korea (Getty)

CUIABA, BRAZIL - JUNE 17: Igor Akinfeev of Russia fails to save a shot by Lee Keun-Ho of South Korea (not pictured) for South Korea's first goal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

CUIABA, BRAZIL - JUNE 17: Igor Akinfeev of Russia lies in the net after failing to save a shot by Lee Keun-Ho of South Korea (not pictured) for South Korea's first goal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Russia's goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, left, lies in the goal as South Korea's Koo Ja-cheol celebrates after scoring the opening goal during their group H World Cup soccer match at the Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba, Brazil, Tuesday, June 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

South Korea's Lee Keun-ho, bottom, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the group H World Cup soccer match between Russia and South Korea at the Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba, Brazil, Tuesday, June 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Russia's goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev reacts after letting in the opening goal during the group H World Cup soccer match between Russia and South Korea at the Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba, Brazil, Tuesday, June 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

CUIABA, BRAZIL - JUNE 17: Alexander Samedov of Russia collides with Ki Sung-Yueng of South Korea during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

Russia's Viktor Fayzulin, left, and South Korea's Han Kook-young, right, challenge for the ball during their group H World Cup soccer match at the Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba, Brazil, Tuesday, June 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

CUIABA, BRAZIL - JUNE 17: A general view of the stadium during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

CUIABA, BRAZIL - JUNE 17: Head coach Fabio Capello of Russia reacts during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

CUIABA, BRAZIL - JUNE 17: Lee Keun-Ho of South Korea (R) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Igor Akinfeev of Russia makes a save during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

CUIABA, BRAZIL - JUNE 17: Park Chu-Young of South Korea reacts after a challenge by Victor Fayzulin (3rd L) and Dmitry Kombarov of Russia (2nd R) as referee Nestor Pitana calls a foul during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

CUIABA, BRAZIL - JUNE 17: Victor Fayzulin (L) and Dmitry Kombarov of Russia challenge Park Chu-Young of South Korea during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

CUIABA, BRAZIL - JUNE 17: A Russia fan cheers during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

CUIABA, BRAZIL - JUNE 17: South Korea fans pose with masks during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

CUIABA, BRAZIL - JUNE 17: Ki Sung-Yueng of South Korea is shown a yellow card by referee Nestor Pitana during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

CUIABA, BRAZIL - JUNE 17: A South Korea fan cheers during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

CUIABA, BRAZIL - JUNE 17: South Korea fans enjoy the atmosphere during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

CUIABA, BRAZIL - JUNE 17: A fan looks on during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal on June 17, 2014 in Cuiaba, Brazil. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Russia keeper Igor Akinfeev had the goalkeeping gaffe of World Cup 2014 as his team laboured to a 1-1 draw with South Korea in Cuiaba.

The CSKA Moscow keeper capped an error-strewn performance by somehow allowing Lee Keun-ho's speculative effort to squirm through his grasp - an incident that will have given Russia's former England boss Fabio Capello flashbacks of Rob Green's mistake in 2010.

But Russia grabbed an important point in their opening Group H clash when substitute Alexandr Kerzhakov took advantage of a goalmouth scramble to join Vladimir Beschastnykh as his country's record goalscorer with 26.

In energy-sapping conditions the game began at strolling pace.

Son Heung-min was the first to inject some energy, bursting at the Russian defence and finding room only to blow it with a poor shot.

Viktor Fayzulin almost opened things up at the other end in the 21st minute, cutting inside from the wing and aiming for Alexander Samedov at the far post.

His cross ran just too long and the best Samedov could do was hook the ball back into the area, where the chance fizzled out.

With little else happening by the half-hour mark centre-half Sergei Ignashevich tried his luck with a 35-yard free-kick, with Jung Sung-ryong making an unconvincing parry.

Both sides created more in the 10 minutes before the interval but the deadlock remained.

The game ended at its most open, both sides sniffing a late winner, but with a lack of cutting edge in either box, a point apiece represented a fair result.

Online Editors

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